Wis. police fight to honor memory of fallen cop

For the past 13 years, every cruiser has had a sticker that reads, “In memory of #23” in honor of Pete Larson

By PoliceOne Staff

BELOIT, Wis. — Three men who have no affiliation with the Beloit Police Department are fighting to keep stickers that honor a fallen Beloit cop on the new cruisers the department is about to receive.

For the past 13 years, every Beloit cruiser has had a sticker that reads, “In memory of #23” in honor of Pete Larson, an officer who in 1985 was shot twice in the head and suffered critical brain damage that ultimately led to his death in 1993, according to WIFR.com.

Some were furious when they learned that new cruisers would come with a thin blue line decal meant to honor all fallen officers, arguing that it would be less meaningful.

Three men, who have not been identified, started a Facebook page to protest the removal of the sticker, which has quickly acquired over 2,000 supporters.

"I feel it’s not only disrespectful to Pete Larson, but all of the policeman who come out and try and protect everybody in every city every day,” one of the Facebook page’s posts reads.

Police Chief Norm Jacobs is working with the authorizing board to get the sticker back on the new squads.